Favoritism
by Passionate Cec
Summary: Sequel to Knee Buddy and The Exhaustion of Rest. Sam gets to come back on base for a little while and she enjoys the time she gets to spend with her team.


Hi.

So, since I haven't posted anything in a while, I thought I would post this as well. It's a sequel to _Knee Buddy_ and _The Exhaustion of Rest_. I suggest you read it if you haven't done so yet. This one is the last of the three.

Once again, Stargate SG1 and its characters don't belong to me. I make no money with this story. Its sole pupose is entertainment. No copyright infringement intended.

And once again, I adore reviews and would be very, very happy if you left one to let me know what you thought about this story. :D

Enjoy. :)

**Favoritism**

Sam hobbled to the front door, cursing when the Colonel knocked again, a bit more insistently this time. _Didn't he know she wasn't exactly able to cross her house as fast as she used to?_ She hurried up a bit, shooting him a brief but meaningful glare when she opened the door.

'Morning, sir.' She finally greeted with a grin.

'Morning, Carter.' He responded, grinning brightly before his eyes moved downward, very obviously checking her out.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. Sure their taking a few seconds to appreciate the other's body was nothing new and they had both done it their fair share of times over the years, but they had always made a point of pretending it never happened and that they didn't know that the other did it. They had never been as obvious about it as he was being at that moment.

'A skirt?' He asked once his gaze reached her – mostly – bare calves and sneakered feet. He looked back up at her with a teasing smile.

'Easiest thing to wear with a screwed up knee and a splint.' He winced before nodding.

'Consider yourself lucky you can wear one without people raising an eyebrow.' She chuckled and nodded. 'You good to go?'

'Yes, sir. Just let me get my jacket and purse.' She answered, starting to turn around to move back into the house. His hand shot out and he grabbed her arm.

'Just tell me where they are, I'll get them. You can go sit in the truck.' She nodded.

'Thanks. They're both on the couch. Keys are on the table by the door.'

'Gotcha.'

He walked past her and Sam slowly walked to his truck. She glared at it when she realized climbing in with a hurt and splinted knee would be quite complicated. Somehow, she managed and already had her seatbelt on when he climbed into the driver's seat, sending a cheeky grin her way and handing her the purse and jacket before putting the key in the ignition.

Barely a couple of hours later, she limped her way to Daniel's office, hoping she would find at least him there, maybe even Teal'c and the Colonel. She was hoping to stay around the base for a while so she could have some company and maybe even sneak in an hour or two of actual work. At the very least, she was hoping to catch lunch with her guys, even if it was at the mess. Unsurprisingly, she found the rest of SG-1 in Daniel's office. Teal'c seemed to be helping him with a translation while the Colonel was playing with his yoyo. _Typical._ She thought. And yet it was good to know that things didn't change when she was away for a little while.

'Hey guys.' She greeted with a smile.

They looked up and grinned at her. Colonel O'Neill jumped out of his seat, his hand brushing her elbow when she hobbled over to sit on the stool. Sam smiled brightly at him and he shuffled his feet. She was in on his secret – he could be the sweetest man on Earth when he wanted to. _Especially to her._ She pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

'Hey Sam. How are you?' Daniel asked.

'Great. It feels good to be out of the house and to see people.' They nodded.

'So what did Janet say?'

'I can come back to work on Monday.' She excitedly answered. At her enthusiasm, Daniel chuckled, Colonel O'Neill shook his head and Teal'c raised his eyebrow though a small smile appeared on his lips.

'Great.'

'Oh yes! Unfortunately, PT starts tomorrow.'

'I'm very sorry.' The Colonel answered. She turned to look at him and nodded.

'Yeah, me too. An hour every week day. Off on Saturdays and Sundays.'

'Ouch. I'm telling you, you must have pissed the doc off if she's being so nasty and taking her revenge so harshly.' She chuckled.

'That might be. Thing is, I still don't know what exactly I've done.'

'Yes, well. How about some lunch?' He offered, looking at his team.

'Main reason I was here.' Sam admitted. The Colonel looked mock offended, lifting a hand to his chest.

'You didn't come for my dashing good looks?'

'Now, sir, I would have gone to your office if I had been looking for you specifically.' She teased back. He looked at Daniel and Teal'c.

'I have an office?'

'Yes, Jack, you do.'

'No I don't. Besides, Carter, you know that when I'm not in your lab, I'm in Space Monkey's office. And since the past three weeks your office has been decidedly lacking in anything of interest, Danny's office has become my stomping ground.' She chuckled, looking down at her hands in her lap, shaking her head. Daniel glared before turning to look at Teal'c.

'Is it me or is there definite favoritism going on?'

'Had you never noticed before, Daniel Jackson?' Sam burst out laughing and grinned up at Colonel O'Neill who was waggling his eyebrows and grinning back at her.

'You know what? I agree with Jack, let's get lunch.' He stated.

He slammed the book shut and stood up, walking out of his office, knowing they would follow. Colonel O'Neill's hand circled Sam's forearm just as she hoped off the stool, letting go once she was steady on her feet and they followed the archeologist.

'Don't worry Space Monkey, we still love you.' He yelled through the corridor, surprising a passing airman who shot him an awkward look and hurried in the other direction.

The four of them were sitting at their usual table in the mess. Sam had requested a double dose of blue jell-O, claiming that she hadn't had any in way too long and needed enough to make up for that. Not that she needed any excuse with them. They knew how much she loved the stuff, as odd as that was, and they never commented – safe for the still on-going debate which would probably never be ended and would always make her argue with Colonel O'Neill about which jell-O tasted the best. At least they had agreed that green was completely out of the competition.

'PT's here, right?' Daniel asked around a mouthful of something supposed to be carrots.

'Yep. I'll probably stay here this afternoon and crash in my quarters. At least I won't have to get a driver to come here tomorrow.'

'Ah, come on Carter, you know you can always ask us.'

'I'll be okay sir. Janet's asked General Hammond to assign an SF to get me to and from the base for work every day.'

'Who are you getting?'

'Grey.' Daniel and Colonel O'Neill shared a knowing look and smirked. Sam frowned. 'What? Grey's a nice kid.'

'Grey has a crush on you.' Daniel informed with a grin. Sam blushed a bit and shook her head at him.

'Doesn't mean he's not a nice kid.'

'He is because he has a crush on you.'

'Oh boy. I'm fifteen years older than him and way out of his league. He'll get over it. In the mean time, he'll have to pick me up from home and drive me back from work.'

'So you say.' Daniel mumbled teasingly. Sam glared and with her good leg, kicked his shin under the table. He yelped and glared back. She grinned innocently at him.

'By the way, I need to ask you guys a favor.'

'Sure, what is it?' Colonel O'Neill asked before taking a gigantic bite of chocolate cake. She wrinkled her nose, wondering how he could chew and swallow so much at once before taking a much more reasonable bite of her jell-O.

'Janet's been doing the groceries for me the past few weeks. But I'll be in urgent need of food by the end of the week and Janet and Cassie are going away on a mother-daughter weekend trip. They offered to stay but I told them I'd be fine. But now I need someone to at least drive me to the store.' The three men shared a look.

'Sure.' 'Not a problem, Carter.' 'It would be my pleasure to help you.' The three men answered all at the same time. Sam grinned. She was most definitely the luckiest girl out there.

'Thanks guys. But I think one person will be enough to help me.'

'I don't have anything planned this weekend.' Daniel stated. Sam turned to look at him.

'Yes you do.'

'I do? What do I have planned?'

'You're packing to go to P5R-484.' She informed.

'I am? No I'm not. I'm not going Sam. I told you the camp would still be there for a while. I can go some other time.'

'Daniel, what better time is there to go than when the team is stranded on Earth anyway? You won't get such a great opportunity again anytime soon. At least I hope so. Besides, I'm fine and you promised me you would go when I came back to work.'

'Carter's right, Daniel. You're getting cranky.' Daniel glared at him.

'I'm what? I'm not getting cranky. You however, are.' Sam chuckled.

'Nah, I'm not cranky. I love down time. Would like it better if it didn't involve my second wrenching her knee but otherwise, I'm as happy as ever.'

'Keep telling yourself that.' He turned back to Sam who was smiling at Jack. 'I'm not going Sam.'

'You are.' He was about to argue but she didn't let him. 'You are going if I have to carry you through the gate myself.'

'I do not believe you would be able to carry Daniel Jackson on your own, Major Carter. Much less with your injury still hindering you.' She groaned but nodded at Teal'c.

'Thanks for reminding me Teal'c.'

'You are welcome.' Daniel and Colonel O'Neill snorted and she looked at him, nonplussed.

'Anyway. Daniel, you are going if I have to make Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c carry you through.'

'They wouldn't.'

'Oh yes I would!'

'Favoritism.' Daniel mumbled.

'I will endeavor to make you go to the archeological site on P5R-484 as well.'

'You too, Teal'c?' He looked back at Sam. 'They just like you better.'

'Of course they do. I have you guys well trained. You like me best too.'

'No I- yes I do.' He admitted, deflating.

Sam grinned cheekily, looking down at her second empty glass of jell-O. She pouted but shrugged and set the spoon on her tray.

The conversation and banter between Sam and the three men continued the way it always did. Sam couldn't help but grin and feel a comfort and safety settle over her. If it weren't for the slight uncomfortable tugging in her knee and the fact that because she couldn't bend her leg it was brushing against the Colonel's, she would think it was just another day at the SGC, having lunch with her boys. As it was, they were almost able to make her forget about the dull ache.

It really did feel good to be with her boys, better even than the past two and a half weeks during which she had been cooped up at home. It had felt good at the beginning. Catching up on the stack of scientific journals lying on her desk, reading, watching TV and movies, having time with Cassie, resting and relaxing had been nice. But it had been tainted by the pain in her knee which made her gasp and cringe every time she moved. And then the pain had dulled but she had started getting a serious case of cabin fever, wishing only to get out and work again. At least in her lab.

She might have had to spend a lot of time with them at night during improvised team nights which were mainly organized to pick up her mood, she didn't feel completely at home until they were in their natural environment: the SGC.


End file.
